Kyocera has developed a new thin-film process technology for making silicon (Si) substrates for gallium nitride (GaN)-based micro-light sources, including short-cavity lasers and micro-LEDs.
GaN-based light-source devices, both micro-LED and laser, have typically been fabricated on sapphire and GaN substrates. Conventional processes involve forming a thin GaN device layer for the light source directly onto the sapphire substrate by heating it to a high temperature (1,000 degrees C or more) in a controlled gas atmosphere. The device layer has to be then removed, or “peeled,” from the substrate to create a GaN-based micro-light-source device.
Kyocera plans to offer a range of platform, substrate, and process technologies to bring high-quality, low-cost micro-light sources to market in the near future.
